Q: My husband is concerned that a vasectomy might leave him with impaired erections. Is this true?

A: There is absolutely no negative effect on any aspect of a man’s sexual health after a vasectomy. The procedure only eliminates the possibility of fathering a baby. Erections and ejaculations are the same as before because the blood vessels and nerves that belong to the penis are not affected. Testosterone and libido remained unchanged. In fact, some couples actually experienced an increase in their sexuality due to the fact that their lovemaking can often be more uninhibited once concerns about pregnancy are removed.

I perform a “no-scalpel” vasectomy, which was developed in China. The procedure takes 10 minutes or less and requires either local anesthesia or a quick sedation. Patients need to wait about one week before resuming sexual relations and two weeks before resuming athletic activity. They can return to work the next day. It is my recommendation to all patients to continue contraception until they have their semen checked in about 10 weeks to be sure it is sperm-free.

Overall, the vasectomy is much safer and simpler than many other birth control methods used by women.